Gabbard Unveils U.S.-Funded Biolab Network, Accuses Fauci of Cover-Up
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released declassified documents revealing American funding for 120 overseas biological laboratories, accusing former health officials of concealing the network from the public.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard released declassified intelligence revealing the U.S. government funded 120 biological laboratories across 30 countries, exposing a sprawling bioweapons network that establishment officials concealed from the American public.
Gabbard accused health officials including Dr. Anthony Fauci of orchestrating a systematic cover-up, validating years of warnings that establishment figures dismissed as conspiracy theories.
Gabbard announced June 12 that American taxpayers funded more than 120 biological facilities worldwide through the Department of Defense's Cooperative Threat Reduction Program.
Over 40 labs operated in Ukraine alone, housing dangerous pathogens including anthrax, Ebola, tuberculosis and SARS. The U.S. invested $200 million in Ukrainian facilities since 2005.
"Until now, evidence regarding the full existence and funding of these laboratories had been knowingly withheld from the American people," Gabbard stated.
"The information surrounding the existence, history, locations and funding of these U.S. funded biolabs has been intentionally covered up by powerful people falsely, claiming that they do not exist and accusing anyone who says otherwise to be foreign assets and traitors to America."
She accused former officials of threatening whistleblowers who attempted to expose the truth.
"Politicians, so-called health professionals like Dr. Fauci, and entities within the Biden administration's national security team lied to the American people about the existence of U.S.-funded and supported biolabs," Gabbard said.
Declassified intelligence slides revealed the Institute of Experimental and Clinical Veterinary Medicine in Kharkiv housed dangerous pathogens while experiencing "biosafety deficiencies."
Intelligence officials previously warned these facilities remained vulnerable to "Russian attack, seizure, or damage" during the ongoing war. The vulnerability of these labs only grew as fighting intensified across the region.
Undersecretary of State Victoria Nuland confirmed the labs' existence March 8, 2022, telling the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, "Ukraine has biological research facilities which, in fact, we are now quite concerned Russian troops, Russian forces, may be seeking to gain control of."
The State Department issued a denial the following day, calling claims about "chemical or biological laboratories in Ukraine" Russian disinformation.
A Pentagon Inspector General audit reviewed 12,660 Defense Department grants totaling more than $1.4 billion for overseas pathogen research between 2014 and 2023. Investigators could not determine how much of that funding supported enhanced pathogen experiments.
The audit cited "significant limitations with the adequacy of data" as the reason for the accounting gap.
At least seven primary grants exceeding $15.5 million flowed to foreign contractors for research related to "potential enhancement of pathogens," the audit found. The Pentagon could not track whether these funds advanced weapons programs in adversary nations.
CIA Senior Operations Officer James Erdman testified before the Senate Homeland Security Committee that Fauci manipulated intelligence assessments about COVID-19 origins.
"Dr. Fauci influenced the analytical process and findings by leveraging his position to ensure the IC consulted with a conflicted list of curated experts," Erdman stated May 13. "Intentional or not, the IC's actions resulted in a cover-up."
President Trump signed Executive Order 14292 on May 5, 2025, ending federal funding for dangerous gain-of-function research worldwide. The order prohibits federal funding for research that enhances pathogen pathogenicity or increases transmissibility in countries lacking adequate oversight.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth praised the administration's actions.
"The prior administration bankrolled dangerous Gain-of-Function research and foreign biolabs with American tax dollars, then deliberately hid it from the American people," Hegseth said. "Under President Trump's leadership, DNI Tulsi Gabbard and the entire Cabinet are righting these historic wrongs."
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence issued new guidance directing increased intelligence collection on overseas biological laboratories. Gabbard's team discovered "clinical trials that are underway at these facilities and that are raising significant ethical, financial, and security concerns."
Molecular biologist Richard Ebright called the Pentagon audit findings evidence of "gross negligence."
He stated the Defense Department "used US taxpayer dollars to fund bioweapons-agents discovery and bioweapons-agents enhancement programs in China and other foreign countries" without proper oversight.
Gabbard leaves her position June 30 as President Trump nominates Jay Clayton to become the next Director of National Intelligence. The Senate Intelligence Committee scheduled Clayton's confirmation hearing for June 17.
Senator Joni Ernst introduced the TRACKS Act requiring public accounting of all U.S. government grant and contract funds sent to designated adversarial countries including China, Russia, North Korea and Iran.
"The declassification of this discovery shows how little oversight this work had," Hegseth said. "The era of lies and betrayal is over."